Social Sciences

The study and research of the social sciences has never been more important than it is now, both nationally and globally.  Recession, rising unemployment and the reorganisation of the health services are just some of the pervasive issues affecting Ireland today and require continual assessment and analysis if we are to provide a better future. Equally, the issue of globalisation needs to be addressed, both socially and economically, as it draws diverse societies and cultures ever closer. The comprehensive array of postgraduate courses to be found in colleges all over the country seek to address these issues.

A central discipline within the social sciences is Social Policy, which involves the key themes of Citizenship, the future of the Welfare State, the impact of Globalisation, Gender, Ethnicity and Sustainable Development. One such programme provided at University College Cork is the taught Masters in Social Policy. It provides students with an opportunity to engage in social political analysis of major issues in Ireland and the wider world.

The Director of the course, Ms. Eluska Fernandez, describes the programme as ‘very engaging’ with a lecture on a specific topic held once a week followed by discussion the following week.

‘It’s a very full course with a module theorising social policy and a more applied module looking at cotemporary policy issues,’ Fernandez explains. ‘It has a seminar style approach but with some lectures and a strong research module connected to the final thesis.’

The course attracts a broad demographic of students from both the professional arena and graduates of politics, social science and sociology. Doing the course at present are professionals in the areas of social work, youth community work, civil service and state agencies such as the HSE.

‘There aren’t many colleges in Ireland running a masters in Social Policy so it’s a great opportunity for people with a background in social science to learn different skills, including research skills, and to get a better understanding of Social Policy,’ says Ms Fernandez.
Former student, Anne-Marie Cody, who graduated in 2008, agrees, ‘I really enjoyed the chance to strengthen my knowledge in social policy. The course combines taught theory and research, which allows you to gain knowledge of society, but also to pursue an area that is of great interest to you.’

Applicants normally hold second-class honours degrees in the Social Sciences, but applicants with other relevant degrees and/or relevant experience will also be considered. This is a one-year fulltime or two year part time course with a significant amount of self-directed learning and reading and the thesis makes up the research element.

UCC also provides numerous other taught programmes such as a Masters in Social Work and interdisciplinary programmes such as Contemporary Migration Diaspora Studies, Womens Studies and a new course in Third Sector Management.

Another innovative MA course in UCC worth mentioning is Sociology and Globalisation, which marks the continuing relevance of an analysis of our current world, covering such keenly topical elements as the ‘McDonaldisation’ of culture and consumerism, and street confrontation over World Trade Organisations.

The University of Limerick provides a MA in Sociology (Applied Social Research) and several research programmes dealing with poverty and immigration issues. UL is also home to the Institute for the Study of Knowledge in Society (ISKS). Set up in 2006, it provides graduate education by facilitating collaborative, strategic research in the development in Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences in UL.

Elsewhere, the Global Women’s Studies Programme in NUI Galway introduced a MA in Gender, Globalisation and Rights this year. The programme builds on a long-established tradition of Women’s Studies at NUIG and complements the existing strengths of the School of Political Science and Sociology.

Course Director, Dr Nata Duwury, says, ‘It’s important because it offers students the opportunity to take two key lenses, globalisation and human rights which are key issues in today’s world.’

‘In this course we take the phenomenon of globalisation and look at it within the human rights framework but add the gender lens,’ Duwury explained.

‘It allows students to really look at the globalisation process from the perspective of women from different regions of the world. Getting an understanding and an ability to analyse and transform the gender inequality and exclusion that women experience globally,’ says Duwury.

A lot of the students have a degree in one of the social sciences but the course is also ‘tailored to meet the needs of men and women working at mid career level in the NGO doing development work and looking to improve their professional skill.’

‘Certain corporations are starting to understand the importance of looking at gender issues as part of their corporate social responsibility,’ continued Duwury. ‘So careers within these corporations as well as the NGOs are the areas students can hope to enter, or continue further academics,’ Duwury concluded.

It is a fulltime, one-year course but allows for a part-time, two-year option. Postgraduates’ career prospects lie within the NGO, human rights organisations and in the private sector.

There are many other Women's Studies courses around the country drawing on the insights and politics of feminism to develop new and more profound understandings of gender relations. Trinity, NUIM, NUIG and UCD all offer various Womens Studies programmes within a respective multi-disciplinary field.

The UCD School of Social Justice offers four such postgraduate programmes in Women's Studies.
In the early 1980s when feminist staff and students set up the ‘Women’s Studies Forum’, the College introduced a study programme and it has grown to become one of the largest Women's Studies centres in Europe.

Indeed, all universities have a social science department with many colleges providing innovative and sometimes unique courses within the social sciences.  There’s no shortage of postgraduate opportunities to choose from, with many more universities and colleges than described here providing a multitude of programmes within the Social Sciences. The only difficulty is in choosing the right one for you.